[img_assist|nid=34010|title=|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=309|height=225]Washington, DC – Startling photographic evidence shows what the real scene will be when President George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union address on January 28. A new poster depicts the president speaking on the floor of Congress. Or is it the stock exchange trading floor? Or is it really both, the trading floor of Congress, where politicians exchange our tax dollars for campaign contributions from wealthy special interests?

The 2x3’ poster, centered on a photograph showing the president speaking before a phantasmagoric assembly of elected officials, stock exchange brokers, and high-tech stock tickers, was produced by the non-partisan campaign finance reform group Public Campaign. Beneath the photo are a series of thirteen charts detailing how big corporate campaign contributions from leading industries are buying America, what they are getting for their political investments and what the rest of us pay in higher taxes, dirty air and water, billions lost from our retirement funds, and the like.

“Sometimes one picture speaks louder than a thousand words, even thousands of bucks in campaign contributions,” said Nick Nyhart, Public Campaign’s executive director. “Sadly, thanks to our system of privately-financed elections, Congress has become a huge bazaar, where big corporations and the super-wealthy invest millions in political contributions and get fabulous rates of return on their investments,” added Nyhart.

“More and more, the only way to get a seat in Congress is to buy yourself one, like a seat on the stock exchange, or to get big contributors to buy one for you,” Nyhart continued. “It really is as if Wall Street moved onto the floor of Congress.”

“We made this poster to show the public what they intuitively sense is true, and because none of us want our democratic representatives to be bought and sold like pork bellies,” concluded Nyhart. “If you have a lot of money you can buy a fancy car, or a second home, but Americans don’t believe it should entitle you to buy a second helping of democracy.”

To view a larger version of the poster image as well as the detailed industry-by-industry charts, go to www.publicampaign.org/stateoftheunion